Transitioning to Adult Care

Switching from pediatric to adult care can be very challenging for many of our patients. Beginning treatment with a different doctor and care team is often a big adjustment, not to mention the new school or work environments patients encounter as they grow up. Our Chronic Care Transition Team helps our teenage patients ease into their new surroundings through our programs and support. We are committed to making sure these patients have continued access to high-quality healthcare throughout their adult lives.

Experience

The team is led by Parag Shah, MD. Dr. Shah is the Chronic Illness Transition Team Medical Director and a hospitalist physician who works primarily with children with chronic illness.

Rebecca Boudos, LCSW, is a chronic illness transition specialist and a social worker in the Spina Bifida Center. She spends most of her time focusing on transition work with teens, and she also serves as the hospital-wide transition specialist.

Approach

We make sure we’re involved in every aspect possible of the transition process and are as helpful to our patients as possible. Our team is in constant collaboration with clinical areas to make sure we’re completely aware of a patient’s situation, and that they will be well-prepared for their transition to adult care.

Clinical Collaboration

The Chronic Care Transition Team works closely with our patients' clinical teams to:

Build relationships with adult providers for primary and specialty care

Prepare young adults to enter the adult world with regards to professional and social maturity

Ensure patients and families are aware of all public benefits and insurance opportunities

Support specialty clinics to implement transition programming

Research

Our team regularly participates in care transition studies to:

Improve transition methods

Better understand adolescent- and transition-related issues

Education for Patients, Families & Providers

We’re committed to educating patients, families and providers about the transition process. We provide training and guidance in the following areas:

Transition competency training for providers

Transition preparation education for patients, families and the community

Education for outside medical providers on the adult healthcare needs of our patients

Programs

Our general transition program touches almost every division in the hospital, but we also have more-targeted programs for the varying needs of patients of different ages and more complex conditions. Select a program below to learn more.

Related Stories

​Transitioning to Home Care

Almost Home Kids (AHK), now part of the Lurie Children’s family, cares for children with complicated health needs by providing family training, respite care and short-term transitional care in a home-like setting. AHK is staffed with medical professionals and volunteers to make sure every child and their families are prepared for the return home. The Chronic Care Transition Team works closely with Almost Home Kids to make the care transition process as easy as possible.